During his first press conference, President Biden said it would be “hard” to pull troops out of Afghanistan by the May 1st deadline set by the US Taliban peace deal, although he said he “can’t picture” US soldiers still being in the country by next year.
“It’s going to be hard to meet the May 1 deadline,” Biden said when asked if troops will be out of Afghanistan by May 2nd. “In terms of tactical reasons, it’s hard to get those troops out.”
Biden’s answer reflects comments made by Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) on Wednesday, who said he believes the administration is planning to stay in Afghanistan past May 1st. Both Smith and Biden said it wouldn’t be possible to pull out troops so “soon,” but the Pentagon said on Tuesday that it could carry out the withdrawal if ordered to do so.
While Biden hinted he would not meet the deadline, he did claim that he wants to get troops out of Afghanistan soon. “It is not my intention to stay there for a long time,” he said. “We will leave. The question is when we leave.” When asked if he believes troops will still be in Afghanistan by next year, Biden said, “I can’t picture that being the case.”
On Wednesday, Rep. Smith said the Biden administration is trying to negotiate an extension of the deadline with the Taliban. But it is unlikely that the Taliban would agree to push back the date, and the group has recently warned there would be a “reaction” if Biden chooses to stay past May 1st.
Staying against the will of the Taliban likely means an escalation of the war, and US troops would start being targeted again. Since the US-Taliban deal was signed last February, no US troops have died in combat in Afghanistan.
Biden just has no idea what to do in: Afghanistan, Iran, Korea nor anywhere else. At least he’s consistent. The Taliban filling US body-bags in Afghanistan unfortunately might clarify that situation for Sleepy Joe. “Picture” that, Joe.
US finds it hard to pull out of anywhere look at South Korea, Germany, Japan.
I wonder if the London bookies are taking bets on when the 1st. foreign troop will pay the ultimate price for over staying their long overdue welcome???
I once asked the late Dr. Ananda W. P. Guruge — formerly Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the U.S. and France — why his government declined the U.S. military’s offer of assistance with the Tamil insurgency then raging in that country. His reply: “If the Americans come, they will just draw an arbitrary line through a temporary problem and make it permanent.” I’ve never heard a more succinct summation of U.S. foreign policy since WWII.
. . .from alJazeera–
Taliban threatens to target foreign troops if deadline not met
The armed group’s threat follows comments by US President Joe Biden who said it would be hard to withdraw the last US troops by the May deadline agreed in peace talks last year.
The Taliban has threatened to resume hostilities against foreign troops in Afghanistan if they did not meet the May 1 deadline to withdraw.
If the May 1 deadline was not met, the Taliban would be “compelled to … continue its Jihad and armed struggle against foreign forces to liberate its country”, the group said in a statement on Friday. . .here
“The president said he can’t ‘picture’ that troops will be in Afghanistan in 2022”
Biden — ie Biden’s handlers — assure us that the US withdrawal from Afghanistan will be ready — guaranteed — and announced, date certain, with double plus absolute certainty — take it to the bank — in late Sept/early Oct of 2022. Concurrent with the announcement of the final defeat of Covid — let freedom ring! — by the Biden Harris administration.